Soil Associations
0651c EARLE
Soil and site characteristics
Loamy very acid upland soils over igneous rock with a wet peaty surface horizon, often with thin ironpan. Some shallow peaty soils over rock. Boulders locally.
Geology
Basic and intermediate igneous rock
Cropping and Land Use
Wet moorland habitats of moderate grazing value.
Component soil series
| Subgroup | Series name | Percentage | WRB 2006 link |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6.51 | EARLE | 30% | Placic Endoskeletic Histic Stagnic Albic Podzols |
| 6.54 | HARTHOPE | 25% | Endoskeletic Histic Stagnic Albic Podzols |
| 3.11 | PRESELI | 25% | Histic Leptosols |
Covers 68 km2 in England and Wales
Soilscapes Classification
| 16 |
Very acid loamy upland soils with a wet peaty surface |
0651c EARLE
Detailed Description
This association covers the gentle to strong slopes of a dissected plateau of andesitic lava, mainly between 245 and 550 m O.D., which forms part of the Cheviot Hills. It consists of the Earle and Harthope series, ironpan and ferric stagnopodzols respectively and the Preseli series, humic rankers. The climate is cool, windy and wet, with a short growing season. The Earle and Harthope series frequently occur in close association, either of them may predominate locally. The Preseli series is found near rock exposures or on gentle slopes in the higher, more rainy areas (more than 900 mm). There are also patches of raw hill peat and basin peat.
Soil Water Regime
On average, soils are at field capacity for over 250 days and are normally too wet to cultivate. The peaty topsoil restricts downward percolation into the subsoil. Consequently, little winter rainwater is absorbed and there is rapid run-off during periods of heavy rain.
Cropping and Land Use
The land is marginally suitable for grassland, giving only moderate yields because of the short growing season. The wet, peaty surface makes the soils easily poached and inaccessible to machinery. Surface drainage can be improved by subsoiling to disrupt the pan or by other deep cultivations. Fair summer pasture is provided for both sheep and cattle, consisting mainly of Molinia, with Nardus either locally abundant or co-dominant. Sheep's fescue (Festuca ovina), wavy hair-grass (Deschampsiaflexuosa) and heath mosses (Hypnum spp) are also usually present, and there are smaller areas of bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus), heather (Calluna vulgaris) or, mainly on the steepest land, bracken (Pteridium aquilinum), with little grazing value.
For forestry, stagnopodzols need deep cultivation to break the pan and permit improved drainage and aeration. This will facilitate deeper rooting to give improved anchorage against wind. Most of the ground is exposed, restricting choice to a few species, Sitka spruce usually being preferred. Phosphorus is necessary, both at planting and subsequently.
0651c EARLE
Distribution Map
 |
Note that the yellow shading represents a buffer to highlight the location of very small areas of the association.
Keys to component soil series
Northern Region
 |
Typical Landscapes
Northern Region
 |
All information Copyright, Cranfield University © 2024
Citation: To use information from this web resource in your work, please cite this as follows:
Cranfield University 2024. The Soils Guide. Available: www.landis.org.uk. Cranfield University, UK. Last accessed 09/12/2024
